Copeland, Dale, Yost win top honors at Best of Preps banquet

photo People dine at the 2014 Best of Preps Banquet on Thursday at the Chattanooga Convention Center. NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt, Jr., was the guest speaker at the annual event which honors the area's best prep athletes.
photo Chattanooga Times Free Press Assistant Sports Editor Stephen Hargis, right, presents Female Athlete of the Year Brooke Copeland with the girls' basketball award at the 2014 Best of Preps Banquet on Thursday at the Chattanooga Convention Center.
photo NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt, Jr., answers questions from the audience at the 2014 Best of Preps Banquet on Thursday at the Chattanooga Convention Center in Chattanooga, Tenn. Earnhardt was the guest speaker at the annual event which honors the area's best prep athletes.

Cleveland wrestling coach Jake Yost won the Scrappy Moore coach of the year award, while Bradley Central's Brooke Copeland and Ringgold's Slade Dale were named female and male athletes of the year Thursday night at the Best of Preps award banquet at the Chattanooga Convention Center.

Yost, a former University of Tennessee at Chattanooga wrestler led the Blue Raiders to the Class AAA state championships in both the traditional and dual state meets for the second year in a row.

Copeland won the award for the second consecutive year. The University of Florida basketball signee scored more than 2,000 career points and played two other sports, including volleyball, where she also was a Best of Preps selection.

Dale, a Georgia baseball signee and a two-sport star for the Tigers, helped lead the Tigers to the state playoffs in each of his three years as their shortstop and guided the Ringgold football team to a deep run in the GHSA state playoffs.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. was the special guest at the event.

See more on the banquet in Friday's Times Free Press and see video's of the award winners online at timesfreepress.com.

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